China Moves Toward Accountability for Overseas Financing

As the U.S. government retreats from leadership on climate, the Chinese are stepping up, both with new “green” policies and a leading role in finance, at home and abroad. This shift has notable implications for the millions of people affected by Chinese overseas investment in dams, mines, and pipelines. Externalities from these projects can include forced displacement of indigenous groups without compensation, drinking water contamination, and deforestation. For the local people and environments that will be impacted by China’s trillion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the shift to better environmental policies may bring increased accountability for negative impacts. China’s environmental policy commitments mean that Chinese investment may come with greater opportunities for communities to raise grievances and have them addressed.